Covert Operations
by FoxgirlAfterDusk
Summary: There's this thing about our jobs. No one gets out alive. Spitfire!SpiesAU
1. Intro

INTRO

Normally, Agent West: secret agent extraordinaire, is totally cool under pressure. Normally. But normally he isn't in a gunfight with unknown suspects and his only capable ally has unknown motives. Also, he's slept with her. Not that he's in love with her! Right now at least.

"Hey watch it!" She yells in his ear as they topple over, the rounds barely missing them. "Be an idiot later! We need to kill them!"

He takes in her mussed hair and makeup, the long tear up the side of her crimson dress. The anxious twist of her lips and the spark of fight in her eyes. And feels his stomach drop in a way totally unrelated to the situation. Fuck. Almost literally.

* * *

Artemis smoothed back the loose waves of her blonde hair for the umpteenth time. Ra's al Ghul patted her knee reassuringly from across the limo.

"My dear, there is no need to be nervous. You need not speak, merely be aware." Tigress nodded, straightening up and patting her hidden holster for comfort.

"Yes, Great One." This one last job and he'd let her go. He tilted his head slightly at her then gestured for her to turn away.

"Ah, there is something missing. I will loan you this ornament, make certain not to lose it." The faint creak of a jewelry box opening and the Great One draped a heavy necklace around her neck, Artemis pulled her hair out of the way for him to fasten the clasp. The clasp settled cool against the back of her neck.

Rearranging her hair, the necklace rested on her breast. Taking a small mirror from her clutch, she examined the necklace. It featured a bright emerald the size of her fingerprint set in a rose gold chain and pendant sparsely studded with tiny, sparkling diamonds.

"It's lovely, Master." Slipping the mirror away, Tigress bowed her head.

Across the limo, al Ghul nodded. "As lovely as the wearer. Do take care of it, my child."

"Yes, Great One."

* * *

Agent West swirled his wine thoughtlessly, eyes scanning the room of mingling wealth. Idly he wondered if they knew about the potential danger. But then if there wasn't a threat every time a get together like this happened, West suspected the party planners would be disappointed. Most warnings didn't pan out anyway.

"Should you be drinking on the job?" Grayson slapped West's shoulder, his own glass almost empty.

"Hey, this is my first. What's that, your sixth?"

Defiantly, Grayson drained his glass. "For the record, I've done this a million times. The chances of this place getting attacked are, like, pi."

"What, infinite?" Smirking, West took a sip of wine.

"3.1415 percent, if you must know. I already did the math. Anyway, aren't you gonna get your nerd butt out there and party?"

West tilted his wine glass with a frown. "Point A, I'm working, two, shouldn't you get back to your date? And who are you calling a nerd?"

Grayson snickered, "I thought you'd complain more about the butt comment, bee tee dubs mine is better." A waiter swooped down to take the empty glass and replace it with one full of bubbly liquid.

West groaned, "where's your date? They need to get you and your drunk butt out." Turning to face the entrance, West's breath caught.

Framed in the doorway, was the person he'd know till his dying day.

* * *

Artemis smiled, nodded and tried not to drink too much champagne. This event was so boring her brain wanted to explode.

Ra's had wanted a body guard and Ubu didn't blend in well with high society. Doubtlessly, shadows were hidden throughout the building and grounds but they were not to be seen by the likes of these frivolous bores. Presumably someone was fool enough to attack him at this party, although Artemis had no idea why Ra's al Ghul wanted to attend a Lexcorp function for the leaders of North and South Rhelasia.

Hiding her grimace behind her champagne flute at yet another chatty CEO trying to butter up the Great One, she silently reminded herself to wipe the lipstick off her glass with her thumb when she lowered it. Red marks would reveal she wasn't really a socialite.

Ra's tapped his cane on the ground as he spoke, and one of the windows exploded.

Cursing under her breath, Tigress got off the defensive position she took over her master. The window had been on the other side of the room and people dressed all in black were climbing in.

"Stay and guard my exit, my Shadow!" Al Ghul shouted at her, taking the nearest exit. Tigress watched him get into his limo and leave, before turning her attention to the masked intruders.

Throwing aside the crystal champagne flute, she kicked out, tearing the false seam in her dress from her hip down. Retrieving the twin small caliber pistols from the freed thigh holster she took aim at the nearest threat only for the shot to be taken from her.

* * *

The moment Agent West heard that window break, he knew she'd be in the middle of it all. Grayson and his date were herding the frightened civilians out away from the threat. A flutter of red caught his eye and he ran towards her, drawing his automatic.

Shooting the masked trespasser approaching her, West stepped behind her. Blonde hair tickled his skin even through his jacket even as enemies drew nearer. Closing his eyes for a moment, just to feel the heat of her on his skin and smell the waft of perfume, West listened to the steady rhythm of her breathing even as she shot down enemies in their vicinity.

She had her twelve and three covered, with an exit at her nine so he covered her six. Amazingly, they worked well together. Easily reading the slight movements which substituted spoken communication like they'd been working together for years. Taking down the enemy efficiently with hardly a wasted opportunity until one of the opposition got in a lucky shot, barely missing her. She still moves back slightly to press against his back and the sound of her sharp intake of breath distracts him enough to miss his next shot.

* * *

**Happy Holidays! I hope you get at least one thing on your "want" list.**

**I'm debating the idea of sitting on the ending for a while and editing first... hmm finish this at the end of this year or give it some time?**


	2. Paris, France

PART ONE

FIRST MEETING -PARIS, FRANCE

He sees her at one of those outdoor cafes which were surprisingly uncommon in this part of Paris. Her table for one placed half in the sun had an iced drink on it. A waiter came out with a sandwich, and she spoke in easy, flowing french without looking up from her novel. Sitting in the chair opposite her, Agent West smiled charmingly when she looked at the intruder.

"Un pain au chocolate, civil play," everyone around him stared at his atrocious butchering of the language.

"Un pain au chocolat pour le touriste américain, s'il vous plaît," she marked her page and set the book down beside her sandwich. West took her frosty glare and tried a flirty grin. "Puis-je vous aider?" she said, smoothing back a strand of golden hair.

"Well you could stop speaking French, I prefer understanding when a beautiful woman is talking," he brushed his leg against her knee, left bare by her light sun dress, and she scoffed around a sip of her drink. "Your book has an American cover," his grin turned into a smirk as she rolled her eyes.

"Congratulations, you figured it out. What does the tourist want?" The waiter set the pastry between them and she smiled her thanks. He was right, she was American but there was the soft lilt of an accent to her [husky] voice.

"I want a lot of things, but we can start with a smile from the lady," he bit down on the pastry and she picked at her sandwich, "and directions to the Notre Dame Cathedral? I'm a little lost."

A light laugh burst out of her, "Oui, monsieur, vous êtes vraiment." She took an encouraging bite from her sandwich "I suppose that isn't so far. Just-"

"Come with me," she pulled back as he touched her leg with his, "we can make a date of it?" She pursed her scarlet painted lips and,

"Non," with a stiff polite smile she slid on a pair of dark sunglasses and turned away.

* * *

Agent West sighed, the eleven pm sun still burning bright above the landmark he was currently atop. Somehow Paris managed to defy all his expectations. Not that they were particularly extreme but the Eiffel tower was supposed to be beautiful and romantic, not windy and rather boring. Of course there wasn't anything really romantic about meeting a tentative ally at the height of Summer. Somehow spy work was more diplomatic than he expected. Not that he expected much. Not at this point.

He sighed, the tower closed a while ago so there was no sign of his rendezvous. No sign of anyone, actually. Stepping closer to the fence ringing the outdoor viewing platform, a glint of light caught his eye. Turning to squint at it, a shot rang out across the area and he threw himself to the ground. He counted five minutes then slowly moved back, towards the stairs. The elevator was practically a stationary target, he couldn't risk it.

Ground level had police all over the place. They surrounded the area with caution tape, but he could make out the crime scene though the crowd. A body, sprawled on the ground, probably surrounded by blood from a gunshot.

"You dead?" crackled his comm, "cause we've just found out the lead is a bust."

Agent West sighed, squinting around the grounds. "I'm not dead, but the guy they sent is. How'd you snipe him?"

"That wasn't us. Find the sniper, we need to know if he's a threat."

Wally squinted at a motorbike speeding past, a whip of black hair catching the midnight sun, "get me specs on the bike that just left the perimeter."

* * *

Tigress sighed, the museum was over crowded with sweaty tourists and she still wasn't sure how the American tourist had dragged her all this way. She'd just wanted to have a day off as Claire, the girl exploring Paris on her own terms, and he'd dragged her to these mundane tourist traps. Like a demon he appeared at her side with the thought.

"Hey, I saw some of those caricature people by the river?" He strokes warm fingertips down the inside of her bare [lower arm] and painted a pathetic little hopeful smile on his face.

She let him tangle their fingers together, saw his eyes light up when she didn't pull away. "You've dragged me all this way for a drawing?" Lightly, she shook her head, "even if I say no, you'll make me come." He grins at her, lightning bright, and her eyes drop to their joined hands. Pale freckled skin wrapped around her tanned fingers.

"You're not someone who does things she doesn't want," quickly, she tries to force the surprise from her system even as her eyes meet his.

"Oh? Then what am I doing here with you?" she says, biting down on the smile struggling to appear on her face. He places a fingertip to the corner of her mouth and gently runs it along her bottom lip, nudging it out from between her teeth.

"Well I might have hoped that spending some time together in, y'know, the most romantic city on Earth would give you a hint." His finger curls under her chin and his lips part just a little.

"But I don't even know you," she said, the fingers of her free hand already twisted in his shirt.

"But I want to know you," and he brushes his mouth on hers, teasingly light. She stretches up a little to kiss him properly when someone bumps into them. The tourist unapologetically shoves them aside, camera glued to their eye. She untangles herself from him but doesn't let go of his hand.

"You wanted a caricature, right?" she said, moving towards the river. He looks at her, dazed, with a stare that thrills and terrifies her at once. Suddenly his hand is burning hot and the high sun feels cold. It takes her a moment to register the water bottle he pushes into her hands, slippery from condensation.

There are worry lines distorting his freckles and he makes her drink the whole bottle with nothing more than soft words, faint fluttering touches and bright pleading green eyes. Damn him.

* * *

"Code name: Tigress. Assignment: Sniper." The once blank sheet of paper continued scrolling out line after line of data, target, location, time. She dropped it on the table, hits had come more frequently lately and most were not worth her time.

Her white apartment curtains fluttered in the breeze from the open french window, catching the echoes from the street below.

The final line printed and she lit one of the decorative scented candles. Glancing through the information, she paused at the last line, page hovering over the flame. A lazy smile settled on her face and she blew out the candle, already listing out what she would need.

The drawer of alias' shows a dozen different files, all marked with a name. She selects one and slides out a Bordeaux-red passport.

they say France is lovely this time of year.

* * *

"So, whereabouts are you from?" he blames the wine for the heat in his cheeks. She tilts her head a little, fingers stroking the stem of her glass.

"I thought it was established that we were both Americans?" Her eyes narrow slightly, the tiny candles around her dance merrily and glint off her skin and hair.

"Well yeah, but where are you really from?" He bites his tongue, before she can. Slowly, she sips at her wine but her eyes don't move from their position on his.

"I was born and raised in the United States of America." she sets down her glass and he expects her to get up and leave. Instead, "My mother is Vietnamese," she tosses out, adjusting her position slightly away from him.

Thankfully their entree arrives but when he tries to nudge her knee with his he can't find it. Discouraging, but he perseveres. "Well, it's just that, you are incredibly," too many words crowd his tongue and none are likely to help. An empty wine glass later, he tries again but is silenced by the dark glint in her eyes.

"What, sexy? Exotic?," she mocked over a forkful of pasta. He drains the magically refilled wine glass. Thoughtlessly, he wonders what alias he'd given this woman.

"I was going to say ethereally beautiful, like, from myth. Or something. Please tell me it's not getting worse."

Chewing slowly over a forkful of shellfish, she raised one curved brow. He stuffed food into his mouth and tried not to look too disheartened. Quicker than he could react, she stole a taste of his dish thoughtfully chewing it over. "It is, but I'm not the one paying." A pretty curve of her scarlet lips and he gulped down another glass of wine. This was going to cost him.

* * *

"West, we've found the bike you were looking for."

Agent West sat up, abruptly throwing papers off the couch he was napping on. His cheap hotel room was already a mess, a problem he would deal with when he left.

"Wassat?" Coughing the sleep from his throat, he tried again, "where are they?"

"You're in Paris and couldn't get a date?"

"I'm working, sniper?" Agent West snaps, and the person on the other end chuckles.

"Ladies man he says. The bike's a rental, owner says it came back cleaner than when it left."

"Did they give a description?" He kicked open his suitcase, picking out some clean clothes and the discrete holster.

"Yeah, a 'pretty young thing', southeast Asian, French papers. Paid in cash." The comm crackles and then muffles. West rolls his eyes and takes out the piece, choosing to have a shower while they were busy.

Whoever they were, they were pros, obviously. The biker shot his lead, then wiped the bike clean before returning it so they weren't likely to find him ever.

West closed his eyes, watching the whip of blinding blond hair zoom off. The rest of the biker had been clad in solid black, and he'd been too far away to get any details. The whole trip had been a bust.

Toweling off, he slid the comm back into his ear despite the muffled shuffling still transmitting. "I'm taking a break," he tells the machine, "we aren't going to get anything here."

When he leaves the room, the do not disturb sign looks battered and out of place in the hallway of pristine cream doors.

* * *

She'd drunk too much wine. Except, he'd had a lot too and the warm, bubbly feeling filling her up felt almost as good as that twisting thing he did with his tongue.

Besides, they both agreed they were only tipsy. While not making out in the elevator.

She pulls away to unlock her hotel door but he's putting tickly kisses everywhere and she can't stop laughing. They fall through when it finally opens and she pulls at his shirt until he's kissing her full on the mouth, sloppy and deep but with the kind of intent that makes her toes curl.

He tears away first, panting out something about condoms. There's some in the bathroom, she replies in kind. but doesn't he have some on him?

He helps her up and sits her on the bed. "Not enough, for what I want with you," he says with a wink, then he kisses her cheek in an oddly gentlemanly moment and disappears into the bathroom with a click of the closing door. pressing her fingertips to the spot he'd kissed, she snaps herself out of it and scrambles to the mirror hanging in the closet.

Stripping off the holster and sheath hidden under her skirt, she hides them in a camouflaged section of her suitcase. Throwing her shoes in the corner, she examines the red flush spread from her face to her chest. Too much wine, she reminds herself, carefully removing her earrings. Far too much.

He finds her there, barefoot and trying to see how far down the flush extended. She smiles at him through the mirror as he presses open mouth kisses onto the bare skin of her neck. His fingers scrabble on her dress, unsure on whether or not to proceed. she turns to him and pushes him back towards the bed, crisply made and turned down by house keeping. He lies back on the covers, eyes never wavering from hers while she slips off her dress and lets it pool on the floor around her feet.

"Are you sure? Claire?" he asks and Tigress wonders who this Claire is for a moment. She'd forgotten his name too, but labels had never been important. Not in her work. Kissing him, she can feel the hesitation in his touch.

"Touch me," she says instead, removing his shirt. He obeys, hands pressing and sliding on bared skin. Her own drag down his chest and settle on his belt. he grips her hips and tugs her down to the bed, rolling so he had her trapped beneath him. Green eyes study her for a long moment, then his fingers slip past the thin material of her underwear and leave her gasping.

In retaliation she takes off his boxers and grips him. He releases her, picking up his pants to grab the condoms, handing one to her and dropping the rest on the bedside table. She puts it on him eagerly, and he stops her from removing her underwear, pushing it to the side as he nudges into her.

Pausing he silently asks again, and she nods, thrusting her hips towards him. He pumps into her, she pulls him down so she can kiss him properly, through the steady movement of their bodies. His movements become erratic and she uses the opportunity to twist him onto his back, grinding hard against him as he comes. He uses his fingers to finish her off, in a practiced motion.

Panting, she gestures to the small pile of condoms on the bedside table. "Are we even going to use those?" she says, resting her head on his shoulder.

He lets out a breathless chuckle, "well there's middle of the night sex, morning sex, stay in bed sex, shower sex... maybe I should've grabbed more." Humming agreement, she presses her lips to his, long and slow. Pulling away, he strokes her hair gently. "As much as I want to go again now, it's been a long day. I need to rest up for midnight sex."

She shrugs even though laughter escapes her and slips under the covers. He joins her, tucking her head under his chin. Luling warmth cocooned her. Pressing her fingertips to his breast, she felt it slow into a sleepy rhythm until she was sure he'd fallen asleep.

Reaching up for the stiletto blade hidden in the headboard, she tried to slip out of his arms only for him to tighten his grip around her waist. Stilling, she waited for him to relax again. He shifted his head against her breasts and settled without loosening his grip. Closing her fingers around the hilt of her knife, she drew it from it's hiding place and settled the point at his jugular.

He sighed, nuzzling her slightly. The tip dug in slightly and drew a tiny red mark.

She removed the knife, tucking it back into it's sheath. They still had a week. And it was indiscreet to kill him here. One week.

* * *

Tigress adjusted her sunglasses and tried to shield the screen of her work phone from glare. The tiny camera scanned the faces of passersby, trying to find a match to the picture of the target. The black leather of her pants and jacket was quickly becoming uncomfortable in the heat, the helmet already left to the side.

She swept the black bangs of her wig back when her phone vibrated. The target had been identified and the image zoomed in on the target. Grabbing her gun, she used the scope to watch him for a clear shot. The assignment had called for a public assassination, no collateral damage. Catching him looking around furtively, she took the shot. Immediately she hid the rifle and removed the glasses, tucking them into her jacket as she moved quickly without raising suspicion.

Swinging a leg over her concealed bike, she tugged on the helmet, feeling it knock the tie of her ponytail down. She drove off without looking back, taking several crisscrossing paths and loops to shake off potential pursuers before heading to return the bike.

He shoved his hand into his pocket with a sigh, the luggage cart he was pushing rolled gently to a stop. The person holding his other hand leaned against him, eyes scanning the check in lines. Bringing their joined hands up, he pressed the back of her hand to his mouth. "I really don't want this to end." He murmured against her skin, a wish that couldn't be granted.

She placed her other hand on his cheek and her boarding papers pressed into his skin, warm from the heat of her. "Me either, but we agreed this was for the best." She gave him a watery little smile and he kissed it away, pressing their joined hands to his heart while his other arm pulled her closer.

Breathless he pulled away, curling both arms around her like that would be enough to keep reality away. "Do you remember what you said to convince me to do this with you?" She slid her arms around his neck, so they were twined intimately close.

He pressed his forehead to hers, closed his eyes and trying to memorize the details of this last moment. "No, what?" he finally answered, still savoring the scent of her perfume.

"You, me and a Parisian romance. What could be better?" the words washed over him, bitter-sweet in their truth. She sighed, and he hated the melancholy in it. "It really was the perfect romance."

He forced a joking tone, "Hey, we're obviously fated to be together, we'll meet again even if we do this."

The corner of her lips turned up, "yeah, except we don't believe in those things." Brushing away the reality of their situation he kissed her, tried to pour everything he wasn't saying into it.

And then, Clare was gone.

Wally slid in his ear piece, listened to Dick chatter for a moment then cut him off. "Hey get me a ride home."

"What you found something?" Wally shrugs, steps towards the line of taxis.

"I thought I did, but it's gone."

* * *

**A) I Absolutely Did Not base anything in this work of fiction on any espionage that may or may not have happened and deny any knowledge that such events exist outside this fictional work.**

**B) Yes, this will be edited properly. Most likely. Later.**

**C) I just realised I haven't written the actual intro. Um it will go up when this gets edited.**

**D) Here's to a real Kiwi Summer. And some motivation. Please.**

**E) Happy YJAM!**


	3. Guangzhou, China

PART TWO

SECOND MEETING -GUANGZHOU, CHINA

She adjusts the buckle of her boot and the reclining back of her seat. For cheaper seats, these were surprisingly nice. Tucking her sunglasses away into her bag she looked around. Really nice considering what she'd expected. Still, this was a job and she couldn't get too comfortable.

The chatter of people around her increases as the car fills with people. Flicking through a magazine she'd brought she watches as people pass her seat. Mostly they're Chinese with the odd foreign tourist and she notes the tour groups. There are a couple of clusters of young people she's not sure of just based on what she sees so she make a note to keep an eye on them incase they're trouble.

Finally, the doors close and the heating is turned up. Chinese, she's noticed, tends to go for extremes when it comes to indoor heating. Still, looking out at the drizzle coating a passing Guangzhou, she supposes she understands.

Seemingly perusing an interesting article, she listens to the gossip swirling around her. Her Cantonese is weak and her Mandarin is passable but she still catches some rumours of a strange group getting a private car. Interested, she flips the page and listens carefully to the speaker who is elaborating on the group. They're interrupted by a bang and a cheer, one of the groups she'd noticed before were causing a ruckus. Counting to ten, then thirty, they quiet but her source has changed subject.

Sighing, she removes the earpiece from it's hiding place in her coat and tucks it in, careful to adjust the fall of her hair to hide it. On the other end there's nothing but static. She doesn't know why she's surprised, this mission had been thrown together at the last minute. They hadn't even been sure that a team would be available, not that she's sure what they're stealing.

* * *

He pulls the stupid beanie off as soon as the doors close. Some of the uniformed guards turn and stare but he makes a point to ignore them. At least whoever wanted this thing had the sense to buy out a carriage. Ick. Remembering what had been fished out of the depths of the ocean would put him off seafood for a week.

His companion, a Chinese and English translator who specialised in science, kicked one of the many lead and steel lined suitcases scattered around the carriage. All of them were small enough for carry on and identical. From the outside. Inside all but one was packed with rocks. And that one that wasn't… well no one in here was getting the sushi.

"This is a terrible idea." Wally nodded for his companion, who was too busy kicking all the suitcases he could reach to notice. "We should not be here. We should be on a aeroplane far away from this." The translator flopped down beside Wally, anger draining from their pale face. They stilled for a moment, then went back to attacking the suitcases. Wally couldn't blame them. He'd seen the person who'd had contact with a piece of the… specimen, but his translator had had to talk to the victim. Side effects was to put it lightly. Fortunately for the two scientists, the victim was not able to be transported. Unfortunately, preliminary tests showed that some insulation and careful handling would be good enough to protect from the toxicity and radiation of the thing. So there they were. And as a sign of diplomacy Wally had been chosen as the nearest American scientist associated with the government to watch over this process of studying the… specimen which just had to include transporting it to Beijing.

Standing up and stretching he asked his translator about getting a snack. Distractedly, the translator told him about hot water in the carriage and a dining car further along. And well, they didn't happen to have any noodles.

* * *

"Hello? Is anyone there? Over." Tigress frowns to herself over the hot water dispenser. Whoever they'd gotten for this sounded like an amateur kid, which considering the amount she stood to make on this heist should be impossible.

Clutching her paper cup of hot water she pretended to answer her cell, lightly stepping through the aisle. "What."

"You're supposed to say over, over."

"What, kid." she snapped, dropping the bulb of specialty tea in the water. The bulb sank then slowly floated up, unfurling into a blossom and staining the steaming water.

The person on the other end muttered something unflattering then responded, "I've heard a rumor in the US embassy. There's supposed to be an American scientist watching over the cargo. Over."

"Any idea who?" Tigress sipped the steaming tea and tried to remember if she'd seen someone who wasn't Asian boarding the train.

"No, word is they grabbed whoever was closest. Over." The other person sighed over the line.

Tigress watched the flower twirl in the water for a moment. She wouldn't be able to find the cargo based on ethnicity then. For all she knew the scientist was visiting family here in Asia. "Do you know if they hired a translator?"

There was a long pause and Tigress wondered if it was too much of a long shot. "Yes. A translator was hired to work in Hong Kong, and they've received compensation. A lot of it, whoever it is is making almost as much as we're about to. And there's a note here that it's to be weekly until further notice. Over."

Tigress quickly gathered her things. It couldn't be too hard to find someone who didn't speak Chinese. Especially where there were culture clashes. "Got it, tell me if you find anything else. Good work, kid."

"Yes. Over and out."

* * *

Considering she's got basically nothing to go on, finding the guy she thinks is the scientist is stupidly easy. And to make things easier, by the linger of his eyes as she'd passed by, he was interested in her. She ducks into the bathroom first, and checked her makeup. She'd had to lighten her skin by a couple of shades to pass as Chinese and her hair had been professionally dyed dark brown. The light coloring was still intact and hadn't rubbed off, but the rush meant there was only time to do the top half of her body, relying on jeans and boots to disguise the rest of her.

Tugging her hair out of it's bun, she also took off her sweater to reveal a fitted turtleneck top. Next comes a ring with a small jewel, designed to incapacitate. She slips it on her first finger and makes sure the spike in it is securely tucked away. Finally, she's applying some minty gloss which has a particularly strong tingle. Shes found its a trick that's usually enough to fool people into thinking there's something there.

"This is transport, over. Come in, over." Oh great, another idiot.

"What?" She purses her lips and tries to ignore the burn in them.

"We are ready to receive the package ma'am."

"Well it's not ready yet." She fixed her hair so it doesn't look like she'd been in this bathroom having sex.

"Requesting ETA on package."

"I don't know, where are you?"

"I'm afraid I cannot tell you ma'am."

"Oh, get me your leader." Tigress tucked a set of poisoned darts into her boots. Paralysis poison, of course.

"Ma'am, the is the commander."

"Look I'm still following a lead on this thing. I don't know where it is, or how big it is. hell if they have decoys i'm sending the lot to you. So where is your vehicle."

"Ma'am we are tailing the train, out of sight. Our orders were to pick up the package which will be found along the train route."

"Great, is it just me getting the thing."

"We do not know ma'am."

"Whatever, I'll throw the package off the train. Make sure to grab it." Throwing the earpiece into her tote she zipped it up and pasted a pleasant expression on.

* * *

Agent West pouted over his coke, the frosty scenery passing by his table not doing much to help his mood. He hadn't been able to order anything else, the staff on the train didn't know enough English to tell him what was in the dishes. Not to mention, this whole mess made him miss Paris more than he'd usually expect, it felt so long ago. So when she had sat beside him at his little table, he hadn't made the moves he normally did.

"你了解我吗?" He looked at her, then down at her drink which had a flower floating on top. "优秀." Smiling, she placed a hand on his. "You look sad, would you like to speak about it?"

He laughed and took a swing of fizzy caffeine. "It's nothing. Just remembering someone."

"Ah," and something sad flickered in her eyes, "a lost love."

They were silent for a long moment.

"So, could you help me order something? I'm starving but my friend who was supposed to translate is asleep." Wally smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Of course, what would you like?"

"Anything but seafood."

* * *

He felt better after eating, the conversation flowed easily over every topic that came to mind. The flower rested at the bottom of the cup and she was leaning in and laughing at his words. There was a slight pause where she looked straight at him and she slid even closer until her eyelashes practically brushed his glasses.

"You have green eyes," she whispered, as though it were both a surprise and a secret. His lips tingled.

Swallowing he tried to speak, but then she was kissing him, a butterfly light press of her lips on his.

She pulled back, hands going to her mouth then dropping to her lap and she slid away on the seat so there was actually space between them.

"I am.." He kissed her, the cool tingle lingering on him from their chaste contact. She slid one hand behind his neck and must have been wearing a ring because something stabbed into the back of his neck.

* * *

Tigress arranged the unconscious body to suggest that he was just looking out the window and stuck him with a paralysis dart just to be sure he'd stay down. Idiot.

Cute idiot, now that she'd seen past the blue hair and red brows. If she wasn't working... getting up she threw away her cup and his tray, wiping away her fingerprints from the table and seat. hesitating at the exit of the car, she looked back to see no one paying any attention to either of them.

Digging out the earpiece and a canister of knockout gas she stepped toward the car she'd gotten out of her target.

"Transport, stand by for delivery."

* * *

**First of all, this is unedited, I'm just getting it all out and the whole thing will be edited next month. Second, not really feeling the love but whatever. If I did this for attention then there'd be no point. Third, yes it is unrealistic. No not the train, that's about right, everything else.**

**Translations: "Do you speak Chinese?" "Good/Excellent."**

**Next chapter, next Monday. Some encouragement would be nice.**

**Oh, fun fact that might explain some stuff: all those real life places are based on my memories of them, so... Guangzhou should be about right but Paris is probably quite off.**


	4. Washington DC, United States of America

PART THREE

THIRD MEETING -WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

"Man this sucks." Agent West stops hitting his head on the stack of paperwork he was expected to do by next week. "I thought paper went out four years ago."

"Well maybe if you didn't screw up transporting the squid, you wouldn't be in this mess." Agent Grayson flipped open a file and scanned through it.

Agent West suppressed a shudder. "It was a starfish. And gross."

"Think of it this way, if the Chinese government had trusted you then they wouldn't even have that sample." Grayson tapped the file on West's head. "And you didn't have to spend months in a Beijing winter. Could be worse."

West frowned down at the second stack of paperwork, detailing the findings on that bit of starfish. For a thing with no organs, it was surprisingly very active. "Have you read the findings on that thing? It's regenerating, from a _slice_. Whoever took it probably has way more by now."

Grayson sighed and tossed down the file. "And that's why you're stuck on paperwork all the way out here."

West took off his reading glasses and squinted up at Grayson, "speaking of, why are you here? I'm pretty sure you didn't get a temporary transfer."

"Uh it's called a vacation? Not that you'll be getting one anytime soon." Grayson shrugged, and opened another file.

"Aw you came to see me on your day off? I feel so loved." Their eyes met for a moment. Then West started making sarcastic kissy faces.

"No you idiot, I'm here to interrogate you." Grayson pressed the file into West's face, over balancing him on his chair.

Straightening himself, West frowned. "Dude, stop asking about Paris already. Nothing happened."

"Y'see, you say that and yet I've never seen you so depressed. C'mon dude, whats her name."

Averting his eyes to the desk before him, West started on the next file. "Who said anything about a girl?"

"Like it'd be anything else. Have you at least looked her up? C'mon, give me her name, I'll do it for you." Grayson pulled out his phone and waved it in front of West

"No! No... I don't want to know."

"That good huh?"

West sighed. "The most amazing week of my life."

* * *

Tigress brushed aside the bangs of her black wig for the umpteenth time. It had looked good when she'd bought it, but now she really regretted not getting one in her usual style. And her contact didn't have anything useful for her, so this was really just not her day. Naturally, right when she'd decided to get a cab someone called. Her Mom.

Swallowing the grain of resentment, Tigress stepped into a side street and kept walking as she answered.

"Artemis, where are you?" Artemis let the maternal worry in her mother's soft accent wash over her and sighed.

"Fine, Mom. Just busy." Tilting her head back, Tigress watched the handful of stars that shone in the urban smog.

"Artemis! Answer the question, where are you?"

"Working!" Sighing, Artemis silently berated herself for snapping. It wasn't Paula's fault that their lives had become this. "Sorry, Mom. I'll stop by soon."

"I worry about you, Artemis. You must call more."

Obediently, Artemis answered, "Yes, I'll see you soon. Bye." And hung up. Tigress let herself stop and frown, the old regrets of past choices welling up again, then shook her head and kept moving. Or she tried.

Now that she'd hung up the scrape of shoes surrounding her magnified tenfold. And the startling numbness spreading through her calf sent hot adrenaline flooding through her, so she ran instead of facing the unknown hidden in the shadowed night. Taking reckless turns and trying to figure out who would try to catch her instead of remembering where she was, Tigress stumbled a few times as her leg slowly stopped responding. Ducking behind another corner, another projectile hit it's mark in her shoulder. These were certainly not government then, with their shoot first policies. Whoever they were they wanted to capture her, which didn't narrow down the list at all. A shadow had many enemies after all.

Taking a running jump onto the nearest fire escape, Tigress focused on pulling herself up as her leg gave up entirely, and points of numbness appeared all over her body. On the third floor she takes a break, and swears to herself that she'll get up even as her mind numbs.

* * *

In his rented apartment with the TV on low and a bowl of noodles, Agent West continues working on the files he'd been assigned. Theoretically, if he finished all the files he'd been assigned, they'd consider letting him off this 'temporary transfer' early. And Agent Wally West was all about testing theories.

Slumping over the table he scribbled down another note. The work he'd been assigned was actually useless. Reports on stationary usage throughout departments and debates on changing break times for the desk employees and he was supposed to find something? He might have messed up but this was legal torture.

Shutting the file, West stretched back and covered his eyes. The words had started to swim before his eyes, he'd been staring at them for so long. Ignoring the footsteps on the fire escape, he went for the noodles slurping the lukewarm soup.

A lull in the hum of the TV and his ears picked up the soft moan from outside his window. Automatically, he went for his firearm; which had been confiscated. Instead he takes his phone, and approaches the curtain from the side. Peeking into a small gap, he doesn't see anything in the dark. Stilling, he doesn't hear anything either. Flinging the curtains open, light from his apartment pours out over a person collapsed on his fire escape.

Agent West hesitates. The apartment he was renting was safe, there were bugs and alarms everywhere but outside there was nothing. And he didn't even have a weapon to defend himself. Then his compassionate side overrides the Agent part of him and he opens the window, lifting the body into safety. Something falls from her jacket, onto the fire escape but Wally ignores it for now, choosing to lay her on the only sofa. He kneels beside her for a long moment, watching her fingers twitch and eyelids flicker like she was trying to escape.

As far as he could tell, all the bugs were for sound. So they probably wouldn't fire him for getting help for this person. Who had unknown injuries from unknown assailants and had somehow found her way to his window of all the places in DC. Yep.

"I'm going to call an ambulance." He announced to the body. Amazingly, she responded with a sound that could be 'no' or could be nothing. Trying again, he asked her "make a sound if you can hear me." And again, she responded. "Okay, I guess no ambulance. Now what?" She was silent at that.

Wally pushed a hand through his hair. "I'll… go close the window." Agent West supposed that if she was well enough to respond then he could sleep on whether to call an ambulance. Probably. Leaning out the window for a moment, he remembered the thing that had fallen when he moved her inside.

It was a dart, chilled from the cool night breeze. West examined it for a moment, then remembered where he was and ducked back inside. Slamming the window he squinted out into the dark. Something was up and it had to do with the person lying on his couch.

* * *

Tigress wakes from a dream of straitjackets just in time to feel herself about to throw up. Rolling over is a struggle, every muscle is still but if she stayed on her back she'd die. The thought makes her want to both laugh and scream. Here she was, one of the deadliest people on the planet, and she was about to die choking on her own vomit. Pure fury lends her strength and her numb muscles manage to twist enough to roll on her side. Gagging yields nothing but bile and bitter relief. Until the horror of her situation sets in.

Her muscles are unresponsive, her every nerve is numb. Forcing down the panic, Tigress takes stock of the situation. The room in small, impersonal. Walls painted a soft white and the sparse furniture is functional but plain. Everything is slightly worn and pens scattered across the coffee table are the only sign of life. Closing her eyes, her heart thuds through her ears growing less frantic with every beat. She becomes aware of the hum of a fridge, a faint movement in the air from an opened window.

A lock click open and she concentrates on curling her fingers into a fist.

The rustle of plastic bags alerts her to one of her captors approach. Along with a rich savory scent that makes her empty stomach twist and ache in equal parts.

"Hey, I brought soup again! This one has those super berry things and they gave me some prawn crackers too." The male felt her wrist and forehead. "Still sleeping, huh. Well I'll leave the soup here."

Seemingly, there was only one person bustling around, turning on the TV and opening plastic containers. Tigress scents sweet and sour sauce, rice and something peppery. Chinese food. Her stomach twists more violently and forces her gag reflex into overdrive. Whoever it was comes to her aid, sitting her up and holding her in position until she stops convulsing. Warily, she opens her eyes.

As it turns out, her captor is a suit, maybe her age, and wearing a stupid pink and red candy cane striped tie. He studied her with bright green eyes and steady fingers on her pulse.

"Wh-who are you?" She rasps out, the words slow and strangled. He concentrates on mouthing out the count of her heartbeats instead. "H-hey, Red. Who are you?" The words are more forceful this time but it must have been more than she can sustain because she starts coughing immediately after. He frowns and turns her head towards the smoke alarm. There is a very obvious bug attached to it's side.

"Geez, you take a girl out and she forgets your name. Babe, you're breaking my heart." Gently, he reclines her against the back of her seat. One green eye winks at her but it's not enough to hide the fact that someone really had broken his heart.

Offering her a spoon and a container, which she tries and fails to grasp, he mouths 'later' at her and proceeds to spoon feed her the thin soup.

* * *

Rereading the explanation and cover story that guy, she figured 'Red' would work for a label, had set in her lap, Tigress recalculated her options. Running was almost possible, whatever was in her system was slowly working it's way out but she'd need a few days to become mobile enough. She could call in a favor, but she didn't know who had attacked her or was watching this place. Maybe she could get Red to let her out, he wasn't a threat but could she really trust a guy who lived in a place full of bugs? Of course the explanation that he'd found her semi-conscious outside her window and had been taking care of her after finding one of the darts was semi-plausible. He seemed like that type of do-gooder. And the more she thought about it, the less plausible it becomes so she usually abandons that train of thought.

The cover story he'd dreamed up was quite obviously terrible. Supposedly they'd met at a club and she'd been drugged so, of course, he'd saved her. The holes in that story were so glaringly obvious even he could see it was stupid. Still, he'd reassured her, they probably weren't actively monitoring his place since all he did there was eat and sleep. It wasn't quite as reassuring as he thought.

Then she'd go back to trying to move. Tigress has found that if she tries hard enough, she can move her limbs slowly. It takes a little less effort everyday, but most of her fine motor movements are still gone. She'd stretch as best she could until exhaustion settles on her and she has to stop. That's when the memories come, bittersweet with unshed tears. Beautiful memories of a perfect week, and the boy she'd seen a forever with. Fighting her way through them gets harder every time. But she does and the cycle repeats.

* * *

Agent West taps his pen against the edge of his desk while reading over a study on lunches among the desk jockeys. A thought occurs to him and he scribbles it down on the post it off to the side before resuming his tapping.

The person in the desk next to him glares. West ignores them and moves on to the next report. His to do list is shrinking rapidly, which he attributes to his current good mood. Seriously, at this rate he could be back home a full week early. Giving in to the grin tugging at the corners of his mouth he makes another note on his post it.

"Knock it off, transfer!" His neighbor hisses. West just smiles at them, already packing up.

"Chill, I'm off the clock now." Well he was in five minutes but Agent West, Super Organized Agent, could afford to leave a little early. Whistling, he strolls off while consulting his post it. First stop, the supermarket.

* * *

Red's at work when she does anything risky. Like take her wig off to shower. Or call her Mom while her hair dries.

"Artemis?"

"Hey, Mom." Artemis picks at the stitching on her borrowed hoodie instead of pacing like she normally would.

"Oh, Artemis, I was so worried." The prick of resentment is quickly replaced by regret. They'd both lost things, important things. She had to remember that.

"I'm fine. I'll visit you soon, okay?" And Tigress hangs up before emotions can take over. Pressing the sleeves of the hoodie to her face, the ache of regret washes over her. It's stupid, but she thinks that if things were different, this would have really been her hoodie.

Brushing the last of her tears away, she runs stiff fingers through her dried blonde hair and focused on fitting the wig back on. She'd just finished when he came home.

"Uh, Jade, what are you wearing?" Red picks at the hoodie she'd borrowed from his closet. It's been washed and worn into bunny softness, but the words 'Stanford University' are still boldly stitched into the front.

'Jade' rolls her eyes. "It's a hoodie, Red." And it's about the warmest thing she can get her hands on without making things weird between them. Whoever was targeting her owed her a new Armani leather jacket.

He looks her up and down. "So does the… everything is the right size?" Tigress clumsily crosses her arms over her chest. She'd recovered enough to stumble around by herself but getting her bra off had been such a hassle she hadn't bothered putting it back on after her shower.

"More or less, I'd ask how you got my size but I'd rather not know." Shifting under his gaze, she snaps, "I can't believe you bought everything but a shirt."

Finally he got the hint, holding up her hands and averting his eyes. "I'll get you one tomorrow, unless you wanna…?" Quickly she shook her head. She couldn't risk getting attacked again. Not until she was well enough to take them on at least. "Okay, dinner?" He offers his hand and she blames the drugs for making her take it.

* * *

Jade hums along to the theme song playing on the TV as she chops potatoes. Red, peeling them beside her, starts singing along in a horribly off tune voice. It makes them both laugh.

Tigress had planned to leave before it got to this point. Before he could buy her a dozen socks with obnoxiously bright patterns then sit with his arm around her as they watch movies on his laptop. Before she'd start sharing his bed because the sofa was really not for sleeping on. Before, before, before either of them could get too attached.

She didn't want another Paris haunting her.

So they settle in for their evening movie. In bed this time because _someone_ kept falling asleep in the middle and waking up too lazy to move to the bed. Red just wouldn't stop complaining about carrying her the twenty steps. And Tigress is too busy thinking of how to get out to pay attention to the movie.

"Hey, that ninja chick could be you." He murmurs in her ear, tapping the image of a blonde girl wielding a sword and bow combination. Tigress internally snorts. A movie about ninjas, staring exactly one Asian. It's utterly ridiculous.

"I don't look anything like her," she whispers back, accidentally brushing his jaw with her mouth.

"It's not all about looks, Babe," he pauses, his breath gently brushing past his cheek. "Hey look, there's me," he points to the main ninja boy, actually Korean, who'd started monologuing about his forbidden love. The realization that he's comparing them to the doomed love onscreen settles in her mind and hardens her resolve to leave as soon as possible.

* * *

Artemis presses a kiss to the envelope, and sets it on the small box she'd left on the coffee table. It's not enough but they can't have this life. Not right now.

* * *

**Uh, I pulled this out from a couple of very vague prompts from the planning stage. Same with last chapter, but this is an exercise in completion. Next one and the intro/epilogue was plotted a long time ago.**

**PONITAPG thank you for your kind words, but don't worry I'll be finishing this. And getting some meta out since most of the details didn't make the cut.  
All two whom have favourited, thank you for your continued interest. **

**Subtlety**** from me tends to so subtle no one notices or something like hitting people in the face with a brick. That'll be something that will have to be edited, as always, next month. Til next Monday.**


	5. Central City, United States of America

**If you're looking for the new chapter, that's at the beginning.**

PART FOUR

FOURTH MEETING- CENTRAL CITY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Tigress laughs when her new husband sweeps her off her feet and over the threshold. Boxes lined the walls but the furniture is in place and all the important things have been set up. Looping her arms around his neck she presses a kiss to his cheek with a small, smug smile.

"Glad we paid to have movers, babe?" Her husband frowns, but his blue eyes are laughing.

"We could have saved a hundred bucks doing it ourselves." Caressing his cheek, she turns his head to look at the electronics that he would have spent a week plugging in. Sighing, he tilts his forehead to rest against hers. "You're right, though."

"Mmm say that again."

Her husband rolls his eyes. "You're right."

"Yes I am. You should get used to saying it."

Sighing, her husband murmurs "Yes, dear," before kissing her properly.

* * *

Agent West frowns, debating between the two flavors. Did he want raspberry icing or chocolate? Or maybe he should spring for the full dozen? But then he'd have to pick another five flavors. Stroking his chin, he almost doesn't notice the light footsteps coming up behind him.

"I'm still glad you're back, but the other customers are starting to think you're crazy."

"Aw, Meg, I missed you too." Meg patted his shoulder. He didn't need to look to see she was shaking her head. Of course that meant…

"I'll give you the other one, just stop with the chin stroking!" West smiled, throwing an arm around her.

"Course Megs! Anything for you."

Scoffing, Megan frowned. "Anything for free food you mean." West shrugged, and she laughed ducking under his arm.

"Which ones did you want?"

* * *

Humming a show tune she'd heard somewhere, Tigress threaded hooks into the curtains. She'd have to get groceries this afternoon, all the fruit in this house was plastic, and the bed linens still needed unpacking but this was nice. Being a housewife hadn't been in her plans and most likely wouldn't be something she'd do for long but so far it had been relaxing. Fun even, so she was optimistic for the rest of the mission.

Hands slid down her arms and she leaned back into her husband's embrace.

"I'm done with the garage, need any help?"

Tilting her head into his shoulder, she suppressed a smile. "Trying to score brownie points already, Cam?"

"Well Mrs Mahkent, Dad always said it was good to start early." Cameron lightly pinched the fabric of Tigress' shirt.

Placing a hand over his, Tigress admired the matching wedding bands. It hadn't been easy finding a set which suited both of their coloring. "We've been married almost a day, I think I'm stuck with you."

"Well in that case, I liked you better blonde." Cameron kissed her hair, now a dark red, and scooped up the curtains she'd already prepared.

Standing up and brushing off her clothes, Tigress called "then you can finish the curtains!"

"Of course, they'll be a real work of Art," Cam tossed the curtains over a chair and swung back to give her a quick peck on the cheek. Tigress laughed and shooed him away.

* * *

Cameron scrolled through something on his tablet, both eyes wide. Artemis leans in the doorway of their new kitchen, silently watching him. He starts when he finally notices her. It makes her want to laugh. Instead she leans on the counter beside him and looks at the report he'd been browsing.

"Luthor must really want this kid back," she murmurs, even though she's sure no one is listening.

Cam snorts, "He bought us a house with a piano. Hell, I'm getting triple my usual rate. And this is going to be a long con."

Twisting a lock of red hair, Artemis frowns. "Yeah, that's why we're not using fake names. But all he's given us are sixteen months of rumors. How do we even know the kid is still alive?"

Shrugging, he locks the tablet. "Well I guess we get what we can. And if this job goes on forever, at least you're hot."

"Cam!" Artemis shoves him away, laughing.

* * *

Tapping out a rhythm with his teaspoon, West slouched at his outdoor cafe table and watched pedestrians passing by. Mostly, they came to or from the nearby grocery store. A couple stopped by the cafe, buying drinks and the occasional pastry.

Frowning, West stirred the foam in his cup. People watching had never been something he'd found fun but lately there wasn't much else to do. He'd been back from temporary transfer for a month and already caught up with everyone. That and the whole business with the starfish meant he was being picked last for every project and operation in the vicinity. AKA not even being considered, so. Now he went to this cafe table five days a week and drank lattes.

* * *

The neighbours throw a small welcoming party for the Mahkents. Artemis bakes cookies and smiles as much as she can. It's about as bad as she expected. The husbands stand around the grill and chat, but she can feel them eyeing her up. Children run around with a ball somebody had thought to bring and wives bustle around preparing food and actually getting things done.

Tigress would rather go back to her house and lock the door.

Cameron gossips with the other husbands and she swears he's enjoying her pain.

"Are. You. Done. With. That?" One of the wives enunciates right in her ear. Gritting her teeth, Artemis nods. Someone, Cameron, had the brilliant idea of making her cover a mail order bride. And this neighbourhood just happened to be one of the ones which judged books by covers. She'd kill him but then the mission would bomb.

Scooping up a pile of dirty dishes, Artemis takes them in to be cleaned. Cam ambushes her at the dishwasher.

"So this is the most boring party ever." Lightly skimming his fingers along her bare forearm, he flutters his pale eyelashes at her, "wanna go make out?"

Scoffing, she elbows him out of the way. "We're supposed to 'integrate ourselves with the neighbourhood.'"

"Yeah, yeah make nice with the oldies. Y'know, if I was an escaped whatever this would be the last place I'd hide. Everyone here's a gossip."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yep, like that one, the one whose husband is always away? I'm getting the feeling that she's banged everyone and they're hoping you'll be the same." Slinging an arm around her shoulders, Cameron sighed. "You'd never break my heart like that, would you babe?"

Laughing out loud, Artemis shrugged. "Well I won't until you do, babe." Then he pouted and she had to kiss it away.

"Well well, aren't we cosy." Breaking away from Cam, Artemis silently asked him and he nodded slightly in reply.

Just noticeably winking at him, she grabbed some cups and went back outside.

* * *

Scrolling through the grocery list on his phone, West tries to angle it so he can actually read it in the bright fall sunlight. So obviously, he's not paying attention to where he's going when he bumps into her. Her groceries and his coffee hit the ground and he barely mourns the freshly brewed cup splattering the flowery hem of her dress because she's danced out of the mess and started cursing.

Guiltily, West digs the spare napkins out of his pocket and offers them up as a silent peace offering. Taking them, she frowns down at her coffee covered shopping.

"Yeah… uh, sorry, Wasn't looking." Rubbing awkwardly at the back of his head, West tries to focus on seeing if anything on the ground is salvageable instead of her wiping down her legs.

He'd just bent to rescue a bag of bread when she responds in a low voice, "it's fine, just watch it kid." Squinting up at her she stares stubbornly back before dropping her gaze to the mess at their feet. Sighing, she gathers up what she can, roughly repacking them into the plastic supermarket bags.

"Hey! Uh, maybe I could treat you to coffee sometime? As an apology?" He makes a point to throw all the rubbish in the trash instead of looking at her. Coffee drips onto the pavement from her rustling bags and he wonders if she even heard him.

Then as she's leaving, the soft "I'll think about it," returns. West doesn't regret losing his coffee.

* * *

**The end. Not, I haven't been up to finishing this one. Really should have realised the two weeks before Christmas were the worst. Speaking of, I'm going to try to get the intro up on Christmas and the end up on New Years. And then get round to editing and finishing this chapter. So next time this gets updated, check the beginning not the end. Got it?**

**If you've read this far, this story is for you.**


	6. End

END

Throwing off the remains of her red dress, Artemis kicked off the matching heels and stretched her arms up. She needed to wash off the blood and grime from the evening's firefight, but tomorrow she was officially free from the shadows. Twirling a little before the open curtains, the heady relief of finally getting out rides the wave of adrenaline flooding her system. She feels invincible. And it's only ten in the evening.

Humming she danced into the bathroom and laughed at the mess her face had become. Miraculously she'd suffered only a few bruises and none of those were in places anyone was likely to see but her face had smears of not only makeup but also someones blood. While she removed it all, a sharp rap at the door sent her into high alert. Consciously forcing herself to relax, Artemis scrubbed at her face with a towel and peeked out the peep hole. Someone dressed as a hotel employee stood outside, a letter and flat, black object in hand.

Opening the door a cautious amount, she belatedly remembered the fact that she was barely dressed. Holding the towel to her chest Artemis leaned around so they couldn't find out for themselves.

"Miss Crock? The Master requests his necklace back and sends you this note." Artemis accepted the envelope and with a curt nod stepped behind the door to remove the necklace. Dropping the ornament into the opened velvet case the shadow bowed slightly and scurried off. Tigress locked the door behind him.

Ra's has sent her a small envelope and a note, requesting that she deliver it personally to someone named Klarion at some club. Tonight. Part of Tigress is annoyed, the other part whispers that it's easy and she'd have the chance for a little reckless celebration. Tossing the envelope and note on the bed, she rushes to the bathroom with her lipstick stained towel. There was time for a quick shower.

* * *

Wally hung up the hotel lobby phone, his head dropping back in defeat. Grayson had dropped him off here with a room key but no word on his luggage. Dragging a hand through his hair, he winced slightly as the movement stretched his back. The bulletproof vest had shielded him from death but bullets still had enough force to bruise, especially the ones aimed at others.

Right now what he really wanted was to get cleaned up and have a good nights sleep. Slumping to the elevator, Agent West removed his hole ridden jacket and shook it out, wafting the scent of gunpowder and something sweeter through the air. A smudge of red lipstick got on his hand and he looked down at his shirt to see at least two more staining the white fabric. The whole outfit was a write off, and he was glad it wasn't a rental.

In the hallway to his room He heard her before he saw her. She was on the way out, a door swinging open behind her and heels clicking even through the plush carpet. Red gown gone in favour of a dark little cocktail dress. Their eyes meet and hold until she vanishes around the corner, her dress flashing green in the light.

West jumps forward and catches her door just before it shuts, glad the hotel had thought to install door closers. Slipping inside, he paused and let the door close behind him. When he heard nothing, West continued in with one hand on his gun. All the bullets had been spent in the fight earlier but the sight would work for a deterrent.

A quick sweep of the rooms proved there was no one else. West ran to his room, using the remains of his jacket to keep her door from closing. He could call someone, get them to drop some equipment off, from the privacy of his own room. He didn't think that she'd bug her own room but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Dashing into his room, right next door, he tripped over his suitcase. Scrambling on the floor, he threw it open and tossed his clothes aside to grab to the small stash of bugs tucked in with his headphones. Hurrying back into her room, he set up the bugs. A camera on the decorative mirror, a mike in the bathroom light fixture and another under the coffee table.

A note on the coffee table had scribbled directions to an address West assumed she'd gone to. He'd also gone through a her things a little and found enough weaponry to take out everyone in the building alongside her designer brands.

Wally took the directions back to his room. He took them into the bathroom while he showered, and reread them over and over when he lay in bed.

Making his mind up, he changed again and hid a small caliber gun into his ankle holster. Tucking the sheet into his pocket with his room key, he left.

* * *

The bass pounded through her body from a block away. Inside the club, it was much worse. Less a club and more a rave which was steadily getting out of control. The drinks at the bar were literally half filled everything was vibrating so much.

Tigress ordered something sweet and watched from a bar stool. People crowded around the dance floor and a multicolored strobe light flickered over them. Ra's hadn't put a picture of this "Klarion" in his letter, and she didn't recognize the name. Hopefully, she'd recognize his face even in the dim light of the club.

When she went to order her third drink the bartender paused before taking her money.

"Have you been waiting for someone?" Hesitation gripped her mind while it ran through the pros and cons of telling this stranger and she ran with her gut feeling that this person would forget before the night was out.

"Yeah, some kid called Klarion. Know where they are?"

The bartender paled, then took her glasses, rubbing at the lipstick marks with a spare cloth. "Yeah, he's upstairs." Their voice dropped to a whisper she could barely pick up over the music, "whenever he comes, this place goes crazy. Last time, three people broke bones." Right then someone started shouting and black shirted security rushed into the crowd. Shaking their head, the bartender pointed out a staircase hidden off to the side. With a nod, Artemis went up it.

Klarion, as it turned out, was an under aged kid with some kind of dead animal draped around his neck and a Gothic flair. Pasting on a smile, Tigress moved towards him only to stop at his black manicured hand.

"Hey kitty," Cringing at his high pitch which carried even over the loud music Artemis pulled back a little more. "Come here kitty cat." When Artemis didn't move at his purr, Klarion snapped out, "Stupid cat! I said come here!"

Stepping forward, Tigress felt her balance tip slightly. Weird. She'd never had a problem with these shoes before. Shaking her head slightly, she retrieved the envelope in her clutch and handed it over. Klarion took it without taking his eyes off her.

Unnerved, Artemis averted her eyes. He lightly touched her arm with cold fingers, dragging them up and around her back. She felt him shift her hair, lifting most of it up off her back and neck then letting it fall back.

He stepped back in front of her and lifted her chin. Child like, he tilted his head. Artemis stepped back and he turned away, seemingly bored. "You can go now," he told her with a dismissive flick of his hand.

Downstairs, Artemis went straight back to the bar for a good strong drink. she needed to settle her nerves and regain her bearings. A drink, tiny umbrella sticking out, was set before her. The bartender pointed out a man leaning against the counter.

Alarmed, Artemis left the drink, instead diving into the crowd. Which had gotten exponentially worse, security were pulling the worst offenders out all around her but as soon as one went two more went berserk. Shoved from all sides, she found herself next to one of the speakers.

A tap on the shoulder alerted her to the man from the bar who had followed her. He smiled at her, teeth bright in the dark room and she focused on his lips since she couldn't hear anything beyond the booming music. Frowning she gestured to the speaker and he offered his hand, pointing to the exit. Nodding, she let him pull her out of the crowd where he speed up until they were standing outside.

"Hey," was all he said while trying to flag down a taxi. Tigress tried to shake off his hand. he tightened his grip.

"Hey, let go!" Jerking out of his grasp, she slipped a small blade from her clutch. He just looked at her impatiently.

"Look, lady, you can take a cab home now or go back in there and lose a limb."

"What are you, security or something? I don't need your help."

"Or something, I just care that you're getting back safe okay?"

"Why do you even care?"

Instead a taxi came and he opened the door for her. When she tried to leave instead, he caught her and caged her between getting in the taxi and himself. for a moment, she contemplated killing him but then she'd need to get rid of the taxi driver as well and didn't this country start implementing cameras in taxis?

Getting in, he followed her and gave instructions to the driver to her hotel. Gripping her knife, Artemis resolved to ignore him.

"You know, I was hoping you'd remember me." He put both hands behind his head and frowned at the ceiling. "I mean, the sex was pretty good." He turned his head slightly towards her and she noted that he had bright green eyes.

Artemis bit her lip. She hadn't have many partners who fit this guy's description. Actually, only one with eyes that green. "I… I don't know what you're talking about."

He leaned right into her space and she was sure he was going to kiss her but instead he lifted her hand off her clutch and tangled their fingers together. Smiling, he opened the door behind him and pulled her out, paying the driver without letting go of her.

Looking up at her hotel, Artemis felt him step closer and she didn't feel the urge to pull away. "But I don't even know you." She murmured, so quiet she could barely hear herself.

"But I want to know you." And he brushed his mouth on hers, teasingly light. With a gasp, she stepped back their hands still connected. He dragged his other hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh. "Look, maybe this is too much. Do you want to get some tea and we could talk."

Biting down hard on her tongue, Artemis pulled away and briskly walked through the reception to the elevator.

He caught up easily and cornered her inside the elevator. "Hey, are you cold? you could borrow my jacket or I have a hoodie here, it's way more comfortable."

Hurt, anger, fear rushed through her as she swung at him with her blade. He caught her wrist easily so she slammed her clutch into his chest, running past him into her hallway. He kept following her until a cry tore through her throat. "What do you want from me!?" Choking down a sob, she hurtled through the doorway of her room.

"Artemis, wait!" Even with her throwing her weight behind it, the door allowed him to get a foot in.

"You knew, all this time you knew?" Sliding down against the door, Artemis dropped her things and tucked her knees under her chin.

"Artemis please. Let me in and I'll tell you everything." She felt the thunk of something hitting the door and he continued in a softer voice. "Artemis, I know you'll never want to see me again. And you have every right to that but please, let me in." She waited for sixteen long heartbeats until he sighed and pushed on the door. Scrambling for her weapon, he withdrew his foot and the door closed with a soft click.

Holding her breath, Artemis held the blade flat against herself as she strained to hear what he was doing on the other side. Hearing nothing, she stood and opened the door slightly. He'd been in the process of opening the room next to hers.

"Hey." She called out, fingers clenched around her knife.

He started, fumbling and dropping his key. "Hey?'

A flush of heat spread across her face when she looked him in the eye. "So, I don't even know your name."

"Wally. Wally West." He made as if to step towards her then thought the better of it.

"Your name's really Wally?" Artemis bit her lip, watching his ears turn red. "Well, Wally, I think you owe me an explanation."

Wally stepped towards her eagerly, "really?" A blindingly bright grin spread across his face at her nod.

"But if what you have to say isn't good enough, I will kill you."

"Wouldn't expect anything else, Beautiful." He slid in past her and left a faint whiff of cologne in his trail. Swallowing hard, Artemis locked the door.

"Wait, before you start, take off your weapons." Wally shrugged at her and removed a single pistol from an ankle holster. "All of them."

"This is all I have." He waved the gun by it's butt then set it on the coffee table. Artemis herded him towards the bed.

"Then strip." He paused, then slid off his jacket and dropped it to the ground. The rest of his clothes followed until he stood there in just his boxers. Closing her mouth, Artemis started to remove her heels and he knelt to slip them off for her. Staring up at her from his kneeling position, Wally tilted his head slightly. "How?" Artemis finally whispered.

"First time we met I thought it was luck. Didn't look into it. Second, coincidence. But the third time…" His voice was low and velvety soft in a way that made her heart ache with longing.

"You didn't." But she hadn't been careful that time.

"Believe it, babe. The third time I ran your DNA, Artemis." He exhaled, hard, and it hit her bare legs. "And the fourth time, you were married." His eyes closed at the bitter quirk of his lips. "Cameron's doing well, by the way."

"Wally… who are you?"

"Thought you would've guessed by now. Agent Wallace West of the US Government, at your service." He rose to his feet, all while looking her straight in the eye. Her next question was smothered by his mouth on hers. "I'm the guy who's still stupidly in love with you."

Recklessly, effortlessly, they come together with the kind of slow, lazy movements of two people with all the time in the world. His fingers ease the zip of her dress down like he'd done it a thousand times before and when she pulls back to breathe she sees that he has in a way. It's the way he looks at her like she's made of everything he's sure about and everything he wants to know. The slight flicker of his eyes, like he's trying to memorize every detail in the moment.

The slip of her dress falling woke her from the haze. Placing both hands on his exposed chest she pushed, enough to have him step back. Lipstick had smeared across his skin. His fingers curled around her own while the knife gleamed from the carpet beside them. Shaking her head, Artemis pulled away even though the drag of her fingertips on his skin ran shivers up her arms.

Shutting herself in the bathroom, she grabbed her makeup remover and automatically began scrubbing at the mess she'd become. She wanted this. She didn't. He'd lied. He'd told the truth.

Peeking out the door she saw him lying on the bed, arms crossed beneath his head. The bedside light softly illuminated the contours of his muscles and the slight movement of his torso as he breathed.

She really wanted this.

Entering the suite, Artemis went around the hotel room, turning off the lights until only the bedside lamp cast a pool of light over him. Getting on the bed beside him, he watched as she settled astride him.

"This is a really bad idea," she told him, her voice pitched intimately low. He helped her remove her dress, smoothing her hair back down while she tossed it away. Stretching over him, she peeled off her bra deliberately taking her time. Bending down and kissing him the same way Artemis smiled at how very aware of her he was.

Lapping at his mouth she relaxed herself on top of him. Wally's hands tangled in her hair, spilling blonde strands over her shoulders to pool on him and the bed. Shifting down she licked at his jaw, then his neck the soft groan vibrating through her lips.

"Artemis, are you sure?" Wally looked at her with drowsy green eyes. Pulling away, Artemis traced his profile with her fingertips.

"I want this, do you?" Catching her hand, he pressed it to his mouth then his heart.

"Of course I do," Pulling her towards himself, Wally kissed her open mouthed and sloppy. Rolling off him Artemis tugged down her panties. She'd just put her hands on the elastic of his shorts when he stopped her. "Wait, wait, do you have a condom?"

Artemis flopped on her back with a sigh, and Wally quickly mounted her. "I don't have anything you need to worry about," she growled through the shower of kisses he rained down on her. A harsh nip to his earlobe and he retreated to her breasts, pointedly making a bright hickey on the left.

She'd been using her thigh to remove his boxers when he slid down and out of reach. Sitting up she watch as he dipped his head and licked her clit. Tossing her head back, Artemis moaned out loud as his tongue worked. Legs wrapped around his head and hips pressing closer until on a drawn out whine of his name she came.

Eyes fluttering open at his breathy chuckle, Artemis forced her jellied muscles into frowning. "I've had better lovers," she rolled on her side uncomfortably noting how wet she still was.

A freckled arm settled across her waist and an erection against her back. "What are their names and social security numbers?" He breathed into her ear. His hand slid down her abdomen, "I could coax them out of you," he laughed again, pressing it against her shoulder.

"No you couldn't," with a twist of her hips she's got a leg around him and her hand guiding his erection into her. He groans once he's inside and Artemis relishes this decadent feeling.

Wally bucks into her over and over, his fingers exploring her body. Artemis busies her own with tangling in his hair as they make out. His thrusts get erratic and a thumb starts massaging her clit as he comes inducing her own orgasm.

Stroking his jawline, she smiles when she realizes he's been repeatedly whispering her name. He nuzzles into her and whines when she gets up to get a washcloth. For two orgasms she'd do the cleaning up. Settling back into bed, she cuddles close to him and closes her eyes.

* * *

Wally wakes to the empty space in his arms. The dried out washcloth on the bedside table reminds him that the night before had really happened and rolling over he draped an arm over Artemis. Humming to himself, he didn't bother to hide the smirk as she stirred from the noise. Smoothing over the silky sheets covering her naked form, he hummed even louder lightly tapping on the highest curve.

Blearily she squinted at him. One hand cupped his face and she pecked his lips, immediately ceasing the sound in favor of kissing her properly. Lightly tickling her, he swallowed her giggles eagerly. Rolling onto his back he dragged her on top, still tickling.

There was a slight pause where her eyes went blank then she got up stiffly. Wally sat up and watched her dig mechanically through her suitcase. Whatever sixth sense he had murmured that something was very wrong and he scrambled for the bedside table where a semiautomatic was hidden behind the bible. Quickly he hid it under the sheet when she turned back to him holding a lighter. Flipping the lid and igniting it, she looked straight at him with empty eyes. Then she tossed it onto the bed setting the sheets ablaze. Wally stared first at the flames then at her retreating back. Aiming the gun at her, she turned at the sound of the safety being release expression still vacant. He fired.

* * *

**The end?**

**Yes, this is a bit late and possibly my first and last piece of smut. So anyway, Thank you for favoriting, following and reading, those little numbers really do help with a writer's motivation. **


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